Pulaski, Virginia

// benlinkous.com

BEN
LINKOUS

Retired Master Sergeant. Cybersecurity practitioner. Community builder. Here to make a difference in the areas that matter most.

Veteran  ·  Cybersecurity  ·  OSINT  ·  Community  ·  Pulaski, VA

About

People. Information. Community.

I spent my career in the military serving a country I love. I retired as a Master Sergeant — proud of that service, but clear-eyed about it. I didn't do anything valorous. I just did my job, alongside people who gave everything.

Now I'm channeling that same commitment into the communities and causes that need it most. That means building a cybersecurity practice that actually serves small organizations, creating free learning resources that help people find careers in tech, and staying rooted in the New River Valley — the place I call home.

My work lives at the intersection of information, technology, and community. How information spreads. How people are influenced. What it takes to protect both individuals and neighborhoods from the threats that undermine them.

I believe honoring those who paid the ultimate price means making the most of the freedom they secured. That's what drives everything I build.

What Drives the Work.

01 🛡️

Cybersecurity

Practical, proactive IT and security for small organizations. Keeping churches, schools, and small businesses running and protected — without enterprise complexity or enterprise pricing.

02 🔍

OSINT

Open source intelligence — the discipline of understanding what's publicly visible and what it reveals. Applied to community safety, disinformation research, and situational awareness.

03 ⚔️

Tech & Combat

The intersection of emerging technology and modern warfare. Drones, information operations, electronic warfare, and how the battlefield is being redefined by software and sensors.

04 🏘️

Community

Real local engagement — not just online. Civic issues, neighborhood organizing, and the belief that Pulaski and the New River Valley deserve people who show up and do the work.

05 📡

Information & Politics

Disinformation, media literacy, and the incentives shaping what people see and believe. How information becomes a weapon — and how communities can build resilience against it.

06 🎖️

Honoring Service

Those who paid the ultimate price deserve more than a ceremony. Actively supporting Gold Star families, veterans in transition, and the communities they left behind.

22 Sites. One Mission.

Everything I build connects back to the same core purpose — information, security, and community. Here's the full ecosystem.

Group 01
🔧 IT Services
3 sites
Live
nrvmanagedit.com
Managed IT & cybersecurity for small businesses, churches, schools, and nonprofits in the NRV. $35/endpoint. No contracts.
Building
linksmanagedit.com
Brand companion to NRV Managed IT — expanding the managed services presence across the region under the LINKS umbrella.
Live
allthingslink.store
The LINKS brand store. Products, resources, and tools connecting the full ecosystem in one place.
Group 02
🛡️ Cybersecurity & Linux
3 sites
Live
link2cyber.com
Free 80-day cybersecurity bootcamp. Zero to job-ready using TryHackMe and the CompTIA path — publicly available from Day 1.
Live
linksos.org
Structured Debian Linux learning environment. Guided skill-building for the open-source and cybersecurity community.
Live
link2linux.com
Linux distro reviews, Linux+ cert prep, and practical guides for anyone moving from Windows to open source.
Group 03
🔬 Technology & STEM
5 sites
Live
link2it.io
AI and IT for non-coders. Bridging the gap between technology and the people who need it most.
Live
stemkidz.biz
Hands-on STEM programs for kids. Making science and technology accessible, fun, and relevant.
Live
steamkidz.biz
STEAM programs bringing creativity into technical learning for young people in the NRV.
Live
link2stem.com
STEM education resources connecting students to science, technology, engineering, and math pathways.
Live
link2steam.com
STEAM learning — adding Arts to the equation. Creative and technical education for the next generation.
Group 04
🏘️ Community & Civic
5 sites
Live
callmelink.org
Newspaper editorial-style civic writing. Community issues, the Good Neighbor Project, and the Coalition of Faith initiative.
Live
linksnrv.com
NRV community magazine. Local engagement, resources, and connection for the New River Valley — forest green and copper.
Live
linkspulaski.com
Hyper-local community resource for Pulaski, Virginia — the place I call home and serve on the Planning Commission.
Live
linksswva.com
Expanding community presence and civic engagement across Southwestern Virginia.
Live
missionhonor.org
Honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice — and actively supporting the Gold Star families they left behind.
Group 05
🛒 Commerce
2 sites
Live
alysons.boutique
Alyson's rustic boutique featuring NRV-sourced vendors. Handcrafted goods, local flair, and genuine community commerce.
Building
reftribe.com
Gear, community, and resources for referees and sports officials. Supporting the people who keep the game honest.
Group 06
✍️ Personal & Mission
4 sites
Live
unfinisheddreams.blog
Memoir and honest writing — including the essay about Ben's father during Hurricane Helene recovery. Dreams still in progress.
Live
fitnesstest.army
Functional Army Fitness Test calculator with 2025 scoring tables across all 5 events — built for soldiers and veterans.
Live
linksllc.net
The organizational umbrella — LINKS LLC connects the brand, the mission, and the community projects under one roof.
Live
benlinkous.com
You're here. The hub that connects all 22 sites, the full story, and everything this work is built on.
"I didn't do anything valorous. I just did my job, alongside people who gave everything. The best way I know to honor them is to make the most of the freedom they secured — by building things that actually help people."
— Ben Linkous · Retired MSG · Pulaski, Virginia
Work With Me

Let's Build Something Solid.

I help small organizations, veterans, and community groups navigate technology and information — without the jargon, the runaround, or the enterprise price tag.

  • Managed IT & cybersecurity for small businesses and nonprofits
  • Free IT Health Checks — no commitment, no pressure
  • Cybersecurity training and career coaching
  • OSINT research and information literacy workshops
  • Community outreach and civic engagement consulting
  • Speaking — cybersecurity, veterans in transition, community leadership

Ready to Talk?

Whether you're a neighbor, a small business owner, a veteran figuring out the next chapter, or someone looking to break into cybersecurity — I'd love to hear from you. No sales pitch. Just a conversation.

✉ callmelink@benlinkous.com → NRV Managed IT → Free 80-Day Bootcamp
Connect

Say Hello.

Always open to a good conversation — about cybersecurity, community, veterans, or anything worth talking about.

callmelink@benlinkous.com